Monday, September 24, 2007

So ... yes, we realize we've been quiet for a couple of weeks. Sorry 'bout that. We so appreciate all of you who have somehow found your way into our lives and are on this journey with us in some capacity or other.

Ended up back at the doctor for more testing this last week. Everything turned out okay. I do not desire to go there again anytime soon!

Recently I've been reading a most wonderful book on adoption by Kristin Swick Wong titled "Carried Safely Home", by FaithWalk Publishing. I would encourage ALL adoptive families and their extended family/friends to soak up this book. It is a story of one family's adoption journey (two actually!!) to Vietnam. The author just opens up her heart and allows you to glean so many amazing lessons God taught her. It has been a timely book for me. I want to share a couple of entries from the author with you ... they are lessons applicable for anyone, not just adoptive families.

"Jesus also promises that those who follow him will have troubles and persecution, so good must not always mean deliverance from difficulty. The New Testament claims that trails are not counterindications of God's goodness but a portion of his good gifts. They allow us closer fellowship with Jesus, because they produce godly character in us and because they are "achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Cor 4:17). Paul and James both exhorted their readers to not only accept their sufferings but to rejoice in them because of the good that God would bring from them (Rom 5:3-5, 2 Cor 12:10, Js 5:2-4)."

"God is working everything together in our lives for our good. He desires to abundantly bless us - on His terms. Only he knows what good means for us."

WOW ... did you catch those last two sentences???

She goes on to say .... "Sometimes he gives us what we feel is good; sometimes he gives what we instinctively recoil from and withholds what we desperately want. In both cases, he is creating more good in us and for us than we can imagine, though his blessings do not always coincide with what makes us happy. God's good does not always feel good."

As I've spent time reflecting on the health trials God allowed into my life these last months and some other incredibly difficult things ... none of it changes the fact that God is GOOD ... and He wants good for my life. HIS good, likely will look far different from how I'd picture it. Even through crisis, pain and heartbreak .... He brings good ... and often times that's how He brings it. I'm so grateful that my heavenly father isn't willing to leave me the way I am, but rather He wants to refine me into the person HE designed me to be.

While our paperwork was being authenticated, they encountered a problem with one document. That has been re-ordered and as soon as it arrives we are told our dossier will be complete. Please pray that goes through smoothly.

We have appt's on Friday to get our immunizations done finally!! .... we'd put that off while I had my surgery.

May you be encouraged today, no matter circumstances you find yourself in and know that God is good .... and His good is better than any earthly thing.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

What a whirlwind the last couple of weeks have been. What was supposed to be a routine gall bladder surgery ... turned into a lot more. After quite a traumatic ordeal ... I am now home, recovering and feeling SO much better!!! The day everything happened, we received our CIS approval in the mail! Hooray!!! We were elated ... then less than 30 min. later I was bent over in pain hardly able to breathe. We've learned a lot through this process and we're sure there is still much we will learn.

The biggest truth that covers over everything we've been through is this .... God is good ... no matter what. He is good in the mountains and He is good in the valleys. He is sovereign and nothing is allowed into our lives that doesn't first pass through His loving hands. We clung to that at our very core. While it seemed our lives were being quite shaken up, we knew that no matter what ... we could cling to that, because that is what the Bible says to be true. We have to not only trust God in our hearts, when all "feels" well ... but we also have to trust God with our minds and submit our thoughts to Him and allow Him to align them with His truth.

While I hope to NEVER experience again some, no rather much, of what I did in the hospital .... I am trying with all I am to embrace what it is God wants to do in me through this experience. I don't have to understand it ... but I need to trust that the One who created me is in control. He has never and will never leave my side.

Turns out I had some complications following surgery and they were able to put a stent in to fix the situation. That will come out sometime in the near future. In a small way, this seems to be bad timing (with everything with my health) ... in that we have many other things needing our time and attention right now. But the Lord is good and allowed all this to happen this year ... while all of our insurance needs have already been met because of Nathaniel's surgery earlier in the year. We are extremely grateful to the Lord for His provision.

So .... news on the adoption front. We are happy to report that Fed Ex picked up the remainder of our documents today! They are now being authenticated and within two weeks ALL of the paperwork should be behind us on this side of the adoption!!!! Please pray that the notarizations are accepted. We have had quite a challenging time thus far and have had to re-do MUCH.

We are more eager than ever to be one step closer to meeting the new member of our family. Our hearts ache to see her face and hold her in our arms and tell her how much we love her ... and even moreso how much her heavenly father loves her.

Several have asked if we've picked out names. Nothing definite. Have some ideas??? ... we're certainly open to suggestions!! Just post a reply.

By the way ... our guestbook is pretty empty and there are over 2500 hits to this site .... are you ALL shy out there that come to visit us? :) You really should consider clicking on that link on the side and sign in and say hello! We'd love to hear from you.

We just enjoyed a visit from David's parents and brother. Now in a couple of days Shelly's family will come to visit. What a blessing!

About Me

Shelly is a dedicated wife and mother of five blessings from around the globe. She is known for being an encourager, prayer warrior and advocate for the Fatherless. While serving with the ABBA Fund, Shelly strives not only to see children be placed in families, but for those families to thrive. She blogs at reachingheartsblog.com and is also a women’s speaker and enjoys traveling all over the US, bringing inspiring insight to impact and encourage all who hear.